The present invention relates to a maze structure, and more particularly to a maze structure which is modular in construction so as to permit the maze structure to be rearranged.
Mazes are known as an amusement device where participants are challenged to find their way through a series of diverging paths. The maze typically involves a contrived ornamental and complex layout of paths through which a person or maze ball must pass to exit the maze.
The traditional maze through which a person must pass has been an area of a park or a garden or other large outdoor area where the route between the entrance and exit of the maze are interrupted by a series of paths and intersections of paths. Paths may be bordered on both sides by tall shrubbery or other form of visual and physical barrier. These paths diverge, cross and come to dead ends often so as to confuse participants and confound their intention of successfully negotiating through the maze. Other mazes may be housed indoors in a trailer or other building, employing for the borders of its paths any combination of opaque material, glass or other transparent material and mirrors. In either instance the participant must walk through the maze. The route is laid out in only two dimensions, that is length and width, and are thus often simple. Furthermore, these mazes are typically fixed and unchangeable, such that once the route is discovered, the mystery is solved and the maze no longer serves as an amusement device.
A form of naturally occurring maze known to adventurers, are subterranean caves. These caves very often resemble three dimensional mazes which increase the level of difficulty of the maze, with parts of the maze being huge, whereas others are barely small enough to squeeze through. Caves however are often dangerous because of unexpected deep precipices, noxious gases, moving water, falling objects and sharp protrusions. Other caves are so large and complicated or dangerous that they have not been fully explored. Caves are thus often not a desirable method of enjoying a maze even though the added challenge of a three dimensional maze may be desired.
Known maze structures have been provided in three dimensions to increase the level of difficulty of finding ones way through the structure. Three dimensional mazes and puzzles are described in the following U.S. patents which include U.S. Pat. No. 1,294,013 to Wittrup, U.S. Pat. No. 2,261,804 to Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,651 to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,054 to Stafford and U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,606 to David. In each of the prior devices however the maze structure is fixed and thus only one solution is produced. Further three dimensional maze structures are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,023 to Collier and U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,723 to Grimes. Both Collier and Grimes provide multi-level mazes in which the levels are stacked one above the other, permitting the order of the maze to be rearranged. In both instances however the levels are arranged such that the maze of one level must be completed before passage to the next level is permitted thus offering only a very limited number of possible variations to the solution of the maze as only one aperture is arranged to communicate between adjacent levels in a limited number of relative orientations between the levels.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a maze structure including:
a base level comprising:
a floor;
a plurality of exterior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the base level adjacent a periphery of the floor defining a perimeter of the base level;
a plurality of interior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the base level within the perimeter defined by the exterior walls of the base level, the interior walls dividing the base level into a plurality of chambers; and
a top end which is at least partially open;
a plurality of stacking levels, each stacking level comprising:
a floor;
a plurality of exterior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the stacking level adjacent a periphery of the floor defining a perimeter of the stacking level;
a plurality of interior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the stacking level within the perimeter defined by the exterior walls of the stacking level, the interior walls dividing the stacking level into a plurality of chambers; and
a top end which is at least partially open;
the floor of the stacking level including a plurality of apertures therein, each being arranged to communicate between one of the chambers of the stacking level and one of the chambers of an adjacent level supported therebelow through the at least partially open top end of said adjacent level;
the stacking levels being arranged to be supported one atop the other on top of the base level with each stacking level being arranged to be supported on an adjacent one of the levels therebelow in a plurality of relative stacking orientations therebetween with each of the apertures in the floor of the stacking level being arranged to communicate with one of the chambers of said adjacent one of the levels therebelow through the at least partially open top end of said adjacent one of the levels therebelow in each of the plurality of stacking orientations.
The arrangement of the apertures for communicating between chambers of adjacent levels regardless of the relative orientation of the levels permits any one level to be rotated about a vertical axis in relation to the other levels as well as a plurality of different stacking orders to produce numerous different combinations and different solutions to the maze structure. The further arrangement of plural apertures communicating between each adjacent pair of levels permits a significant amount of interaction between the chambers of one level and the chambers of another level so that variation of the solution to the maze structure is significant even when only minor changes to the relative orientation of the stacking levels is present.
Each stacking orientation may comprise a different order in which the stacking levels are supported one atop the other. Alternatively, each stacking orientation may comprise a different angular position of at least one of the stacking levels in relation to the other levels with said at least one of the stacking levels being rotated about a vertical axis extending through the levels between positions. The different stacking orientations may further comprise a combination of different relative angular positions and stacking orders of the stacking levels in relation to the base level.
The levels preferably have similarly polygonal-shaped floors which are similar in size, a length of each side of each floor being substantially equal to a length of the remaining sides. When the floor is square, each level is permitted to be rotated into four different angular positions in alignment with adjacent levels. In further arrangements, the floor of each level may have any number of sides, with the number of sides determining how many different relative angular positions between two adjacent levels are permitted in order for the levels to remain aligned one atop the other.
When the floor of each level is generally rectangular in shape, the interior walls are preferably all mounted along a rectangular grid on the respective floor. The interior walls are preferably selectively mounted on the grid on the respective floors of the levels such that the interior walls are moveable between various wall mounting positions along the rectangular grid on the respective floor.
Each grid will include a plurality of intersection points with a post preferably being mounted on the respective floor to extend upwardly from each respective intersection point of the respective grids. The posts are preferably arranged to support the walls on the floor with the walls being selectively mountable between any pair of adjacent posts.
A cover is provided in preferred embodiments, arranged to be mounted on an uppermost one of the stacking levels regardless of the stacking orientation of the levels.
A combined height of the levels supported one atop the other may be substantially equal to a width of one of the floors such that the maze structure forms a cube. The cubic shape of the maze structure is desirable when the maze structure comprises a handheld game as the cubic shape permits the maze structure to be very compact and aesthetically pleasing in design.
In a handheld embodiment, a clamping mechanism is preferably provided for securing the levels together. The maze structure can then be handled by a person for guiding a maze ball through the maze structure. The clamping mechanism may be arranged to permit relative rotation of at least one of the stacking levels in relation to the other levels about a vertical axis extending centrally through the levels for displacing the maze structure between the different stacking orientations without disassembling the levels from one another. Rotation of each level in relation to the other levels thus produces a new arrangement of diverging paths from entrance to exit of the maze structure.
There may be provided an entrance aperture through one of the exterior walls of a respective one of the levels and an exit aperture through one of the exterior walls of a respective one of the levels. The apertures are useful for permitting passage of a maze ball therethrough in a handheld embodiment or passage of a person therethrough in maze structure scaled for persons. When a maze structure is scaled for persons, the chambers and the apertures of the respective levels are suitably sized to receive a person therethrough.
In an alternative embodiment of a handheld maze structure, the entrance and exit apertures need not necessarily be provided, but rather a transparent wall in each of the entrance and exit locations with proper indicia may be provided. A maze ball in this instance would be enclosed in the maze structure.
The entrance aperture and the exit aperture are preferably both located on the base level. Preferably there is no communication between the entrance aperture and the exit aperture on the base level. Furthermore, each chamber on any given level is preferably restricted from communication with the other chambers on said given level by the interior walls. The non-communication between chambers and the entrance and exit on the same level increases the level of difficulty and the amount of interaction between levels required to pass between the entrance and the exit of the maze structure.
The interior walls are preferably arranged such that, in at least one of the stacking orientations, the chambers and the apertures communicating between the chambers form a continuous tunnel from the entrance aperture to the exit aperture with no chambers or apertures diverging from the continuous tunnel. This permits the level of difficulty of the maze to be lowered as desired.
In one embodiment, the floor of each level may comprise a plurality of interconnected modular units which are selectively separable from one another, each modular unit having a floor with sides and at least one wall extending upwardly from a respective one of the sides thereof, each of the walls of the respective modular units forming part of the interior and exterior walls of the level.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts for assembly into a maze structure for passage of an object therethrough, the kit comprising:
a plurality of modular units, each modular unit comprising:
a floor which is suitably sized for supporting the object thereon, the floor being an equilateral polygon in shape and having an even number of sides, half of the sides comprising first sides adjacent one another at a first end of the floor and the other half of the sides comprising second sides adjacent one another at a second end of the floor;
a plurality of walls, each extending upwardly from a respective one of the first sides to a top end substantially in alignment with the top end of adjacent walls; and
a plurality of mounting members each being arranged to connect one of the second sides of the modular unit to one of the sides of an adjacent one of the modular units;
at least some of the units having a communicating aperture in at least one wall thereof arranged to permit communication of the object therethrough;
whereby connecting each modular unit to at least one adjacent one of the modular units forms a level of a maze structure.
The modular units each preferably have similar dimensions so as to be arranged to permit nested stacking of the modular units when the modular units are separated from one another. This is particularly useful for shipping or storage to reduce the amount of space occupied when the units are nested one inside the other.
Each modular unit is preferably square having walls on two adjacent sides thereof, but any polygonal shape having an even number of sides, for example a hexagon or octagon, would also be useful. In the instance of a hexagonal shaped floor having six equal sides, walls would extend upwardly from three adjacent sides of the floor. The modular units would thus remain capable of nesting for storage.
The modular units are preferably formed of rigid material so as to permit stacking of one level of modular units above another. This may includes rigid wall panels or a rigid frame supporting wall panel of lighter material thereon. At least some of the modular units preferably have a communicating aperture in the floor thereof arranged to permit communication of the object therethrough. The is useful when stacking one level above another for communicating the object between the levels.
As described above, the maze structure may be arranged for passage of a person therethrough. The floor of each modular unit is thus preferably arranged to support the person thereon with the communicating apertures all preferably being suitably sized to permit communication of the person therethrough.